Moving in? Secure a new home in the first week

New homes come with a lot of paperwork and very little information about who still has a key. Here’s the short list we give every new homeowner.

1. Rekey every exterior lock

Front, back, side and the door from the garage into the house. It’s usually under an hour and puts you back in control.

2. Change the garage and gate codes

Reset the opener remote codes, keypad codes and any community gate codes tied to the address.

3. Check the strike plates

Short screws in the strike plate are the weakest point on most doors. Swapping them for 3-inch screws takes five minutes.

4. Look at sliding doors and windows

• Add a bar or pin lock to sliding patio doors

• Make sure every window latch closes fully

• Trim shrubs that hide doors from the street

5. Decide on smart access

If you want keypad or app control, the week you move in is the easiest time to install it, before you’ve handed out a single spare key.